1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to estimation of functions for the generation of visual display data and, more particularly, to providing interpolative estimates of functions using the vector permute functionality of parallel-processing machines.
2. Description of the Related Art
The ongoing revolution in the use of data processing systems to provide advanced modeling, simulation, video editing, animation, and gaming applications has illustrated the importance of continuing improvement in the generation and display of graphical output. Improvement in the generation and display of graphical output centers on two concerns. First, there is a need to supply visual display data of the highest possible resolution. This need centers on the volume of data supplied. Second, there is a need to supply visual display data at the highest rate possible. These two concerns converge, for example, in gaming, where the desire for high levels of detail conflicts with a maximum acceptable lag time between the receipt of data from input controllers and the graphical output of visual display data through visual display systems.
Producers of visual display data systems struggle to generate and display the maximum possible amount of resolution-enhancing data without exceeding that maximum acceptable lag time in the display of graphics, and thereby generate a visually impressive level of high-speed detail. Unfortunately, a major bottleneck exists in the calculation and estimation of functions that generate the visual display data. An advance in the calculation and estimation of functions that generate the visual display data would allow for substantial improvement in visual display system performance.
With many functions, the exact calculation of the value of the function is prohibitively slow. At the same time, information about the value of those functions, evaluated at particular input points, is critical to the generation of visual display data. Representative examples include sin(x), cos(x), log2(x) and exp2(x), though many other functions are involved in the calculation of visual display data. The sine and cosine functions are used in “rotation matrices”, which enable a visual display data system to both rotate objects in a scene and specify arbitrary locations and orientations from which the data can be viewed. The logarithm and exponential functions are crucial to the computation of “specular highlights” on objects that are subject to 3d lighting. Substantial improvement in the generation and display of graphics will not be possible without improvements in the speed at which the estimation of the value of these, and many other, functions is accomplished. In order to accomplish desired improvement in the performance of visual display data systems, a system and method for the rapid estimation of the value of functions at particular input values within selected intervals are required.